Today on Kresta - December 1, 2009

Talking about the "things that matter most" on Dec. 1

4:00 – The True St. Nicholas: Why He Matters to Christmas
When most of us hear the name "Saint Nicholas," we immediately think of Santa Claus. But if asked why Santa sometimes goes by this alias, we might be at a loss for a satisfactory answer. Too bad: the real St. Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop who may have attended the famous Council of Nicaea in 325, was a fascinating if elusive figure whose name has been invoked, and selfless deeds recounted, for hundreds of years. Now, in The True St. Nicholas, the bestselling author, radio talk-show host and former Secretary of Education William Bennett brings Saint Nicholas's story to life, and shows why it is still relevant today.

4:20 – The Devil’s Delusion: Atheism and it’s Scientific Pretentions
Militant atheism is on the rise. Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens have topped bestseller lists with books denigrating religious belief as dangerous foolishness. And these authors are merely the leading edge of a far larger movement–one that now includes much of the scientific community. A secular Jew, David Berlinski nonetheless delivers a biting defense of religious thought. An acclaimed author who has spent his career writing about mathematics and the sciences, he turns the scientific community’s cherished skepticism back on itself, daring to ask and answer some rather embarrassing questions. He joins us.

5:00 – “Peversion of power and trust” exposed in Dublin archdiocese handling of sex-abuse complaints
An independent commission's report on the handling of sex-abuse complaints with the Archdiocese of Dublin, exposing a pattern of misconduct within the Irish hierarchy, has provoked calls for the resignation of several bishops criticized in the report. The long-awaited report of the "Murphy Commission"-- named for Judge Yvonne Murphy, who chaired the effort-- was released on November 26. The exhaustive report, covering sex-abuse complaints between the years 1974 and 2004, fulfilled the prediction of Dublin's Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, who had warned that the faithful would find the material shocking. That could be called an understatement. We talk to Michael Kelly of the Irish Catholic.

5:20 – The 13th Day Released Today
FACT: Over 70,000 witnesses watched the sun spinning in the sky before plummeting towards the earth, in an extraordinary prophesized event, which became known as ‘The Miracle of the Sun’. In a world torn apart by persecution, war and oppression, 3 children were chosen to offer a message of hope to the world. Based on the memoirs of the oldest Seer, Lucia Santos, and many thousands of independent eye-witness accounts, the film The 13th Day dramatizes the TRUE story of three young shepherds who experienced six interactive apparitions with a “Lady from Heaven” between May and October 1917, which culminated into the final prophesized Miracle. It is being released today and we talk with Producer Natasha Howe and Ignatius Press Director of Marketing Tony Ryan.

5:30 – The Twilight Saga: New Moon AND 2012
The second film in the Twilight Saga, New Moon, came to theaters on November 20, and the hype was enormous. Early enthusiasm for the movie version of New Moon is only the latest confirmation of the Twilight Saga’s status as a full-fledged cultural phenomenon. Last year’s film Twilight, based on the first of Stephanie Meyer’s hugely popular tetralogy of gothic teen romances of vampire love, is currently the top-selling DVD of 2009, with over 9 million copies sold. Steven Greydanus is here with a review of New Moon.

5:40 – A Catholic View of Literary Classics – Part 9 of 10: The Scarlet Letter
We continue our 10-week series examining Classic Literature from a Catholic perspective. We will ensure that traditional moral readings of the works are given prominence, instead of the feminist or deconstructionist readings that often proliferate in other series of 'critical editions'. As such, they represent a genuine extension of consumer choice, enabling educators, students, and lovers of good literature to buy editions of classic literary works without having to 'buy into' the ideologies of secular fundamentalism. Today, we examine The Scarlet Letter with Ave Maria University Professor Mark McCullough.